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PNG police to arrest more suspects in Reza Berati murder

MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: Police in Papua New Guinea say they're now looking at the possible arrest of two expatriates over the murder of Reza Barati on Manus Island.

Two locals have already been arrested in relation to the murder but PNG police say there are three other suspects, including two foreign nationals.

Mr Barati was beaten to death in a violent riot in February at the Australian-run detention centre.

Papua New Guinea correspondent Liam Cochrane reports.

LIAM COCHRANE: PNG police say they arrested their first suspect in the murder of Reza Barati in July, 28 year old Louie Efi. But they kept the arrest secret as their search for another suspect, Salvation Army worker Joshua Kaluvia, took them across the country.

Jim Andrews is the deputy police commissioner for Operations in Papua New Guinea

JIM ANDREWS: He was on the run. He came from Manus, he went then to Lae, and then he went up to the Highlands and then from the Highlands he went back to... he went to Kimbe.

LIAM COCHRANE: It was in Kimbe where police finally caught up with Joshua Kaluvia.

Jim Andrews says police are still looking for three more people.

JIM ANDREWS: Well there are five suspects, two expatriates and three locals, nationals.

LIAM COCHRANE: Deputy commissioner Andrews could not confirm the nationality of the expatriates wanted by police but said they were working as guards with the private security company G4S when the riots occurred in February.

(Sounds from riot)

Dozens of asylum seekers were injured in the violence. One man lost an eye, one had his throat cut but survived, another was shot in the buttocks.

A report by Australian investigator Robert Cornell quoted a witness as saying 23 year old Reza Barati was hit with a stick, kicked repeatedly in the head by several people and finally was struck with a rock to the head.

He died of severe head trauma and the two men arrested in PNG have been charged with his murder.

Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison welcomed news of the arrests.

SCOTT MORRISON: I'm pleased by these reports. It's very important that the process has been gone through. And clearly there will need to be a justice process that will follow here and I don't want to prejudice any of that, but some good work has been done and we've been supportive in that work.

LIAM COCHRANE: The Salvation Army says it still hasn't been contacted by PNG police but is willing to assist.

Security company G4S also said it hadn't been notified of the arrests but would fully cooperate with the PNG investigation.

The exact nature of that investigation remains unclear. Police in PNG said on Tuesday they worked closely with Australian Federal Police and Australian Immigration officials to investigate Mr Barati's death.

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